The main island is this region is Kanton Island (Abariringa). While the island has the services of an airstrip and wharf this small number of people are government workers in caretaker mode.

Such is the isolation of the island that it is seldom visited and this is limited to sailing yachts and charters. The government supply ship visits a number of times a year. Immigration is possible on the island for those arriving by sea.

Other islands in the area include Orona, Enderbury, Nikumaroro, Birnie, Manra, McKean and Rawaki. These atolls are the tops of the Seamounts (or seas mountains) which are a feature of the marine protected area.

The Phoenix Islands Protected Area is the world's largest Marine Protected Area. This isolated location has a vast array of undisturbed and pristine ecosystems. The coral reefs and bird populations are virtually untouched by man. The Phoenix Islands were awarded UNESCO World Heritage Site status in 2010. The area covers 410,500 sq km of the Central Pacific.